In 2020, I will be buying my first PRS guitar, the 594

Can’t argue with that, but I’ll explain what I meant.

I think the quintessence of PRS isn’t so much a single guitar model, as a process of constant growth and learning.

At the moment, the 594 is my candidate for most successful example of how well their process works. Sounds vintage, feels modern. So it gets my ‘quintessence award’.

and I can't argue with that...

Although if we are to take your comment, I think the quintessence of PRS isn’t so much a single guitar model, as a process of constant growth and learning, then I would add their quality and reputation as guitar builders which is present throughout their entire range. That is more about PRS as a company and all of this is present in any number of their guitars - not just the 594. The Silver Sky, perhaps the most 'controversial' and most 'radical' departure for PRS, perhaps the 'hardest' to sell led to so much demand that various people have yet to receive their pre-order.

I say Hardest because there are so many 'strat' type guitars from multiple builders and Fender themselves churn out more guitars a day than PRS can make in a month (not inc guitars that PRS don't make - SE's). They face competition from G&L as well as Suhr, Music Man etc. PRS, apart from the few models that haven't stuck around, have more models that are closer to Gibson to varying degrees and looking back, you can see the 'steps' - The custom 22 to give the same spacing between PU's, then the McCarty that added the thicker body etc.

In any case, both the 594 and the Silver Sky, despite being based on vintage instruments that are far to expensive and rare (especially if you want quality, consistency and low maintenance too and not to risk a guitar that costs more than a LOT of NEW cars) are successful and, by the reasoning you mention, quintessential PRS. For me, I see it as almost PRS taking both of the most revered instruments from history and making them but also making them better and much more consistent - to give every guitarist the opportunity to get the sounds without any of the drawbacks associated with owning vintage instruments. Every model though is quintessential PRS if you take the company and its ethos but as far the most 'PRS', the one guitar that is 'PRS' and not a PRS version of, has to be the Custom 24. Its the Guitar that enabled PRS to build, to have the opportunity to grow and learn, built up the reputation for exceptionally high quality instruments so that over 30yrs later are able to make and have great success with models like the 594 and Silver Sky. At least the 594 though does come in many flavours and not just the SC that it borrows from.

You can't argue with its success and the amount of diversity this model has but I do think that many view it as a LP alternative rather than its own entity overall. Maybe this is something we can discuss over and over again but as far as a specific model of guitar is concerned, I would have to say the Custom 24 is and perhaps always will be the quintessential PRS. Nothing also encapsulates the constant growth and learning as this model - the number of refinements over the years demonstrating the learning, the body shape being used for other models which demonstrates the growth and all models share the quality, consistency and reputation that PRS have built up over the years.

Anyway, this is a bit off topic but it doesn't change the fact that the 594 is an excellent model that does encapsulate the essence of PRS in its build. I would have NO hesitation in recommending one to anybody and, if I am honest, I would love to add the Hollowbody version to my Solid one. That is testament to how highly I rate this model.
 
Waiting (at least) another four months sounds awful.

Plus it seems like waiting for senior prom to lose your virginity to the “perfect” person, or waiting until you’re “ready” to have kids... if you build up an experience too much in your mind, it rarely lives up to it in reality.

I say buy the nicest used PRS you can find today that’s closest to your ideal and start living.
 
Waiting (at least) another four months sounds awful.

Plus it seems like waiting for senior prom to lose your virginity to the “perfect” person, or waiting until you’re “ready” to have kids... if you build up an experience too much in your mind, it rarely lives up to it in reality.

I say buy the nicest used PRS you can find today that’s closest to your ideal and start living.
Wise words!
 
Waiting (at least) another four months sounds awful.

Plus it seems like waiting for senior prom to lose your virginity to the “perfect” person, or waiting until you’re “ready” to have kids... if you build up an experience too much in your mind, it rarely lives up to it in reality.

I say buy the nicest used PRS you can find today that’s closest to your ideal and start living.

More like waiting 10 months. But when you already have a Les Paul Custom, Fender American Strat, a Fender Professional Tele and a Carvin guitar, the wait is not a big deal. Plus I have to pay off bills first like I said.
 
Thinking now about getting the DC instead of the SC. Planning on visiting PRS and see if I can play both to see which one I would prefer.

With the extra wood on the SC, what difference is there with the tone of the guitar? I know it's a little heavier than the DC.
 
I definitely heard a difference in tone and I tried several 594's as my local shop has several.

More bass mostly on the SC, more fullness. I preferred it for sure to the DC, but hey both sound great. The DC is of course a bit lighter.
 
Thinking now about getting the DC instead of the SC. Planning on visiting PRS and see if I can play both to see which one I would prefer.

With the extra wood on the SC, what difference is there with the tone of the guitar? I know it's a little heavier than the DC.

Personally, I found the difference negligible - at least for needs. It seemed no more substantial than you may find between some models of the same guitars. Not to say there isn't a difference of course and I probably wouldn't disagree that the SC has more low end but I think I could adjust my EQ to get closer to either. Its not as if you can't adjust the bass, mids, trebles to balance the sound of each to get a similar tone. Going straight into the same amp with the same settings, you may find that they could be incredibly close or more further apart depending on the two guitars and the maybe the density of the woods but I felt that tonally they were so close to each other that I could pick either and just EQ them differently depending on which I picked.

In the end, I went with the Double Cut - not because it sounded better/worse, played any differently and even the fact the the upper fret access is marginally easier wasn't a consideration at all - it was mostly because the double cut looked more 'PRS' to me. As I said, I thought tonally, the actual tone wasn't different and I felt that I could add more bass and mids to bring the DC closer to the SC or EQ the Bass/mids down a bit to bring it closer to the DC.

At the end of the day though, its still better to listen to both together and decide which you prefer and, if you can or want to, adjust the Amp settings to see if either can give you the sound of the other or close enough that the decision of which to pick can be as superficial as the one you prefer the look of. In other words, if you prefer the DC look (or weight) but prefer the SC sound, with some changes to the EQ, can you get the DC to sound the same and therefore buy the one you prefer the look of.
 
I wish I could try out both but no one seems to have both in their store. You brought up a good point, you bought the DC because you wanted the guitar to look like a PRS. There is a lot of wisdom in that. Do you want to buy a guitar that looks like a Strat or Les Paul but has some wonderful PRS features or buy a guitar that when looked at people will recognize it as a PRS. There is no right answer but it is something to consider when deciding on a guitar. The double cut looks killer. Hmmmm.
 
I wish I could try out both but no one seems to have both in their store. You brought up a good point, you bought the DC because you wanted the guitar to look like a PRS. There is a lot of wisdom in that. Do you want to buy a guitar that looks like a Strat or Les Paul but has some wonderful PRS features or buy a guitar that when looked at people will recognize it as a PRS. There is no right answer but it is something to consider when deciding on a guitar. The double cut looks killer. Hmmmm.

The point I was making was that the decision to buy either 594's wasn't necessarily determined by any perceivable difference in their tone. Some do not like the Switch on the top horn and only acceptable to see it in that position on a Single Cut - purely a aesthetic difference rather than buying the guitar purely on any tonal difference. It was the fact that I could pick the one that I liked the look of more, the one that looked most PRS to me instead of having to pick the Single Cut because of how that sounded. The sound was so close that I felt I could tweak some Settings to offset any differences in the low end. In other words, I could add some more mids/bass on the DC Amp settings or maybe turn down the bass/mids on the SC Amp to make them sound the same - at least incredibly similar.

I could buy either one and know that I could get the sounds I wanted and both could easily do the same job, give me the same tone. I didn't feel like I had to buy one because it was clearly the better sounding instrument and that buying the other would be a compromised guitar, buying something lesser because I preferred the aesthetic or the playability at the dusty end. Both were so much alike that with slightly different EQ'ing, they could be the same guitar. Being so similar and knowing that with the right EQ setting, both were absolutely stunning instruments therefore I was able to be much more superficial in my decision on which 594 to buy. If you are picking a version based on colour or shape in this case rather than on the way it sounds, feels and plays - especially as I rarely need fret 22 so the access makes no difference - is a superficial decision. I am fully aware that I choose my PRS guitars for purely superficial reasons. I have 4 all double cut and all fire red burst because the differences are so minimal that I don't have to buy the SC 594 or buy a Faded Blue guitar for example because it was the best sounding guitar. Its one of the things that I really love about PRS because they are so consistent that I can pick any PRS for purely cosmetic reasons. I am not getting a 'worse' 594 because I preferred the look of the DC or that the DC one I picked was in my favourite colour - its equally as good as all the SC's and all the DC's regardless of the colour or grain pattern.

If you prefer the look of the SC shape, prefer whatever colour scheme you like, I would say that's all that really matters. Picking a 594 because its in the shape you prefer and/or in the colour you like best, even which has the better flame in the maple is all that matters. Whichever 594 you buy, you will be getting an exceptional guitar. You won't be missing out because you picked a SC for example and/or opted to buy the McCarty burst instead of one of the more modern looking guitar colours - keeping with the vintage sound. If you prefer a more modern look, a bright red, blue or orange in a double cut then buy that one. It really doesn't matter which you buy because they all so similar that the biggest difference is aesthetics so you can pick the one you like the look of most!
 
There is a music store in my area that has a used McCarty single cut. I am going to check it out, check the weight and access to the higher frets

In addition I will be able to try out a Double Cut McCarty 594 so I will have a better idea which one I would like to get. So excited about trying out the guitar in my studio.
 
I played an older McCarty singlecut today at the music store. I was pleased to find it was easier playing the higher frets than my Les Paul. On the LP I found the body gets a little bit in the way compared to the PRS . The PRS was also more comfortable than the Les Paul.
Double cut PRS will be next to compare.
 
I have an SC245 that is, by far, the best single cut I have ever played/owned. It's amazingly comfortable to play and has a near perfect tone. My DC594 comes close, but still isn't as rad as the 245.
 
As an update my son just ordered a Silver Sky in white with maple neck from Guitar Center. No interest for 2 years and he could not resist. To be honest I am a little jealous though I do have a 82 Fender Strat that looks like Eric Clapton's Blackie. Love the guitar.

In regards to my 594, I still have to wait. I upgraded my converters in my studio to Apollo X8 and I also purchased the Roland Jupiter X keyboard. I was able to try out a 594 in my studio and I really liked it. It seems to be a more polite Les Paul. The Paul has more output and has a little hotter and thicker sound. The PRS was more balance with highs, mids, lows and just seems like a great all around guitar. The neck profile is a little thicker than what I am used to. But the more I played it, the more I got used to it. Now I have to wait at least until January before I can pull the trigger as I have to pay off these bills first.
 
I decided on the Tobacco Burst and it will be replacing my Les Paul as I want the more traditional look.

I get pretty weak in the knees at the sight of a Tobacco teardrop burst McCarty594 Singlecut.
I've got three 594's and surprisingly enough, not one of them in in that finish.
 
I get pretty weak in the knees at the sight of a Tobacco teardrop burst McCarty594 Singlecut.
I've got three 594's and surprisingly enough, not one of them in in that finish.
I feel that. This one hooked me....


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I'm sure you're beginning to realize that buying a PRS is not a simple decision...Further more,it gets more difficult the more you contemplate it...The good news is that once you get over the initial RUSH of owning it,you'll start looking at the rest of PAULS stable and begin to fall in LOVE with the many other models...So as I always say...BUY one of each and you'll never be unhappy again...
 
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